1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of in-line skates. More specifically, it relates to an improved frame for in-line skating.
2. Description of Background and Material Information
Normally, an in-line skate includes an assembly of various basic elements, including a boot that is fixed on a frame which in turn bears a series of aligned wheels. As such, the frame forms the interface between the boot and the wheels. The frame generally has platforms to receive the boot; these platforms connect the lateral walls that act as a support to the wheels. The frame withstands the bending and torsional forces that are applied by the skater. Consequently, it must be rigid enough to maintain a correct wheel alignment, both along the horizontal plane and the vertical plane in order to keep from sagging, twisting, or being laterally deformed while executing turns.
Currently, various types of frames exist. The most rigid, but also the most expensive to manufacture, are frames that are extruded and machined from metallic sections, generally made of aluminum. This provides a one-piece element with substantial rigidity which is particularly well adapted to competitive skating. The method for manufacturing such frames is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,846, for example. In addition to the cost, there are other drawbacks related to the one-piece nature of the frame whereby there is little possibility for varying the mechanical characteristics, making the frame not very shock absorbent.
European Patent Publication No. 0 774 283 discloses a frame having separate lateral flanges, made by sheet metal stamping, that are then connected by platforms. The desired rigidity is provided by a frame rib having a predetermined size and location. However, manufacturing such a frame is still fairly expensive in view of the forming operations and the substantial amounts of aluminum needed.
Frames formed by two half-pieces made of an injected plastic material, connected together by complementary assembly means, are also well known. Generally speaking, these frames are the most economical to manufacture, but conversely, their mechanical characteristics are mediocre.
International Patent Publication No. WO 98/33565 is related to an in-line skate with an interface element arranged between the frame and the boot. The interface element is connected on the side of the frame by connection points located between the wheel axles and the frame platforms. This construction has the advantage of improving the transfer of forces between the boot and the frame. However, such a construction remains both complicated and expensive to obtain because it requires the design of an additional interface element and a frame made entirely of metal. The overthicknesses created between the frame and the interface also have a tendency to raise the boot with respect to a traditional construction; this is not desirable. These overthicknesses also increase the material costs and make the skate heavier.
European Patent Publication No. 0 795 347 discloses a frame having two longitudinally spaced blocks, connected to each other by sliding lateral rails. Such a construction allows the lengthwise adjustment of the frame depending on the various boot sizes. Nonetheless, such a frame has only mediocre rigidity due to its design which consists of two separate blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,706 is related to a skate assembly having a boot, a frame with crosswise reinforcement elements and a pair of reinforcement angles connecting the front and rear axles of the frame to the sides of the boot. Such a construction promotes the transmission of forces from the boot to the wheels. However, this construction has the drawback of being complex in terms of both manufacture and assembly. In addition, such a construction is not adapted to be associated with a rapid disassembly system of the boot from the frame.
International Patent Publication No. WO 97/33665 is related to a frame for gliding sports articles whose structure consists of parts obtained from materials having different mechanical characteristics, attached to each other at least partially.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,466 is related to an in-line skate consisting of a frame equipped with a plate at the toe and a plate at the heel of the boot, to which are detachably attached independent lateral flanges. The flanges are inserted through two laterally spaced cavities and demarcated on each side of the frame by two pairs of edges extending downwardly from the lower surface of each plate. One of the main advantages is the ability to separate the flanges from the rest of the frame in order to replace or substitute them. Another advantage is to suggest a construction with intermediate plates that promote weight distribution in a way that reinforces the rigidity and resistance of the frame. However, such a construction does not provide for optimal mechanical characteristics because the flanges are simply retained by the edges and are independently blocked by independent screws. In addition, the assembly of such a frame appears to be lengthy and expensive due to the substantial number of elements, especially the affixing elements.
Various other frame designs are described in the following documents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 18,312; 578,081; 593,278; 2,168,820; 3,387,852; 5,380,020; WO 96/22818; U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,310; WO 96/22818; WO 97/02072; DE 296 12 212 U1; and WO 96/26775. However, all of these contructions are clearly different from the construction set forth in the instant invention.
It is thus an object of the invention to propose a frame structure that solves the problems of the prior art documents that have been cited hereinabove.
In particular, one of the objects of the invention is to propose a frame having good mechanical characteristics, especially good resistance and good rigidity, both in torsion and while bending, and promoting an optimal transmission of forces while skating.
Another object of the invention is to propose a frame whose very design enables the mechanical characteristics to be modulated by varying the nature of the materials and the sizes of its component elements.
Another object of the invention is to propose a frame having good mechanical characteristics while also limiting the number of elements used in the construction, as also its volume, and also limiting the use of costly raw materials by keeping their use restricted to the most appropriate areas.
Yet another object of the invention is to propose a frame that is capable of being adapted to any boot coupling system, especially to any detachable coupling system.
Another object of invention is to propose a frame whose design is both light and without overthicknesses while remaining rigid and inexpensive.
Another object of the invention is to propose a frame whose assembly is easy and requires a minimum number of operations.
A further object of the invention is to provide the possibility of facilitating the adaptation of the frame to various boot sizes and thus limiting the number of elements to be manufactured, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
In order to achieve this, the invention is related to an in-line skate frame of the type constituted of a main body consisting of a transverse base equipped with at least one support surface at the toe of the boot and one support surface at the heel of the boot, each of these forming a front platform and a rear platform in the shape of a U and being extended downwardly, either by two projecting lateral portions on which are attached the two independent parallel flanges capable of receiving a series of wheels, or directly by the flanges when these flanges form a one-piece element with an upper transverse connecting portion, wherein the support surfaces at the toe and heel of the boot are connected to one another by an intermediate arch in order to form an anti-torsion base for the frame and an element for transmitting forces.
According to a second characteristic of the invention, the support surfaces at the toe and heel form substantially horizontal support planes, and are affixed together by an arch that is generally shaped like a convex arc extending longitudinally, in order to form a one piece sub-assembly adapted to be affixed to the lateral flanges by any connecting means, so as to constitute the frame.
The instant invention is also related to the characteristics that will become apparent from the following detailed description, and these ought to be taken either singly or as per all possible technical combinations thereof.